HOOKSETT, NH– After a gut-check weekend at home, the Maryland Black Bears set out on the road to take on the New Hampshire Mountain Kings in their first match-up of the season. After a solid Friday night, a third period in Saturday’s game forced a split this weekend.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25th, 2024: BLACK BEARS (4) at New Hampshire (2): While there was a feeling out period to start, the Black Bears started to gain their offensive legs in the middle part. Their pressure paid off with Tyler Stern opening the scoring by taking the carom from a Isac Nielsen shot from back boards and put it into the open side of the net, giving Stern his second goal of the year and giving the Black Bears a 1-0 lead. While Maryland would keep the pressure up, they couldn’t find the back of the net before the end of the first period. New Hampshire would up their pressure on the forecheck and stretching the play, but Ryan Denes was solid in net, coming up with some big saves, while the penalty kill was solid to kill of the two Black Bears penalties of the period. With just under three minutes remaining, Josh Frenette would get his first NAHL goal, picking up a loose puck in the slot and firing it home to give Maryland the 2-0 lead heading into the third period. Frenette would strike against 1:14 into the third period, cashing in off a Luke Rubun shot, as Frenette was posted at the side of the net to put home the rebound and making it 3-0 Black Bears. New Hampshire would get a goal back with Oli Genest netting his 10th of the year, scoring while falling to the ice to cut Maryland’s lead to two. The Black Bears would restore the three-goal lead when Trey Hinton received a great pass from Dylan Gordon, allowing Hinton to streaked down the slot and fire home his second to make it 4-1. Genest would strike again for New Hampshire off a solid passing play on a New Hampshire power play to make it 4-2, but the Black Bears defense would hold off the rest of the attack, notching the victory on Friday Night.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26th, 2024: BLACK BEARS (6) at New Hampshire (4): An unfortunate start for the Black Bears, as a defensive turnover resulted in Charlie Vincent netting the opening goal only 22 seconds into the game. Maryland than started to get rolling, firing all they could at the net. It paid off as Liam Doherty tallied his first of the year banking in a rebound off the goalie to tie the game. While the Black Bears continued to press, New Hampshire got the lead back with a point shot banked off Alex Gelhar’s skate to make it 2-1 late into the period. Maryland got down two early, as William Parent ripped a shot on an odd-man rush to make it 3-1. The Black Bears got it back 1:02 later with Evan Sofikitis wiring a shot and pulled Maryland to within one. Then only 1:08 after that, Isac Nielsen put home his fifth of the year on the power play off a great pass from Harrison Smith to tie the game. The Black Bears continued to press, but couldn’t find the go-ahead goal before intermission. Things didn’t go the proper way for Maryland as New Hampshire netted three goals in 3:26, starting with Kim Hilmersson putting an odd angle shot to make it 4-3. Two minutes plus after, Jack MacDonald made it 5-3, with Hilmersson making it 6-3 on an odd-man rush to make it 6-3 for New Hampshire. The Black Bears would press to try and get back into the game, but it wasn’t until 2:10 left when Nielsen ripped a shot to get the game to 6-4, but the Black Bears would fall in Saturday’s matchup Maryland is on the road again next weekend, as they take on Elmira in the first matchup between the two clubs.
Clutch And Crab Hockey 